Brussels, 31/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - According to a press release issues by EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki on Friday 31 January, a European Union delegation travelled to Dakar, Senegal, this week to reactivate fisheries relations between the EU and Senegal, which were broken off in 2006 with the expiry of the last EU fishing agreement with Senegal stipulating the terms for Spanish, French, Italian, Greek and Portuguese ships to fish in Senegalese waters.
Last week, the European Commission was given a negotiating mandate by the EU Council of Ministers to negotiate a new fisheries agreement.
The meeting in Dakar showed that the best way to operate is to totally rethink the legal basis of the last agreement, which dates back to 1980. The Commission says that a new sustainable fisheries partnership with Senegal could cover tackling undeclared and unregulated fishing, EU aid to help Senegal improve its inspection and control capacities, backing for research and small-scale fishing. The Commission also mentions access to Senegalese waters for tuna vessels and limited access to demersal fish stocks for EU fleets. The talks will continue in Brussels in March 2014. (LC/transl.fl)